FV / FVF / VQAY - Flexi-van Transport


In 1961 four Flexi-Van bogie wagons were built to trial a new method of containerisation. The wagons were coded FV with two each built for the South Australian Railways and the Victorian Railways. In America, New York Central had successfully integrated this traffic into their network.

The wagons were fitted with a central turntable. The turntable carried the special container which was secured during rail travel. To dismount the container, the turntable was unlocked, raised and rotated until the container was perpendicular to the wagon. Road vehicles then slid the container off the rail vehicle onto a special set of trailer wheels. Road to rail movement was a reverse of the operation. The container was loaded in the reverse manner.

VR ran two wagons for Standard Gauge traffic and SAR ran two for broad gauge. These wagons were replaced when TVF_ / TVX_ wagons were built by NSW and Victoria.

FV

The VR wagons were FV 1 and 2. In 1962 they were reclassed to FVF.

FVF

As FVF 1, 2 they ran on broad or standard gauge, though in the 1970's they were only on standard gauge, still running in 1974. By 1979 they were stored.

In the 1979 recoding they were reclassed to VQAY.

VQAY

The wagons were lettered VQAY whilst in storage and never ran. In 1982, they were modified as safety wagons and coded to VDSY.

Vehicle history list